From beer paired with Girl Scout Cookies to Pączki Fest and pastry stouts, this is the sweetest time of year to be a beer-drinker in Chicago.

Darkness is Coming… at Fountainhead
For its ninth annual lineup of heavy metal and dark beer, Fountainhead will be pouring dark rarities like Left Hand’s 25th Anniversary Imperial Stout, along with classic dark brews such as Founders 2017 KBS. The night also includes a concert giveaway, along with the crowd-pleasing Fountainhead grub we all know and love.Details: February 21, 6 p.m.

Courtesy of Beer on the Wall/Facebook

Dixit Game Night at Beer on the Wall
Learn a new game at this monthly event where an instructor teaches attendees gamers new options. This month features “Dixit,” a creative storytelling board game. Play it (or other games from Beer on the Wall or BYO game) and have your choice of packaged beers and drafts. This event is in collaboration with Park Ridge Public LIbrary and The Gaming Goat, and includes game raffles.Details: February 21, 7:30 p.m.

Fifth Annual Pulaski Day Pub Crawl starting at Revolution Taproom
Celebrate a Chicago namesake and revolutionary with what else: a pub crawl. Start at Revolution, where you can fill up on their Polish buffet and have a brew, then hop aboard a trolley at 11:45 a.m., which will take you to seven different neighborhood bars. Ticket includes a beer and food at Revolution, plus trolley rides.Details: February 23, 10:45 a.m.; $30

Lake County Craft Beer Festival at Lake County Fairgrounds
This craft beer festival takes aim at creating a beer event that is more than just tasting beer (no harm in that!). Count on nearly 100 local and regional breweries being represented along with axe throwing, beer pong, an escape room, photo booth, live music, food and more! Ticket fee includes 25 samples.Details: February 23, 5-10 p.m.; $50 pre-sale or $60 at the door

Darkside at Emporium Arcade Bar
Celebrate Emporium Arcade’s 7th anniversary with dark beer, arcade games and metal. Tickets include a bag of tokens and eight samples brews (about 40-oz. total), with loads of local dark beer to taste, including rarities. Pretty Cool Ice Cream will also be hanging out, pairing some new flavors with Pipeworks’ Jones Dog favorites.Details: February 24, 12-5 p.m.; $30 pre-sale or $40 at the door

Marz Pączki Fest at Marz Community Brewing
Celebrate the release of Marz’s annual Pączki Milk Stout at this ever-eccentric party—this one features a Make Your Own Pastry Stout Bar, the Chug Life Zone, video and pinball marzcade, special guest drafts, an ambient beer and music zone, a barrel-aged beer zone and more. In addition to the original Pączki Stout release, four bourbon barrel-aged variants will be available (pre-order a four-pack to ensure you get yours). Expect a variety of food from Marz’s sister restaurant, Kimski, along with favorite food vendors such as Pretty Cool Ice Cream, The Rice Table and Brunchlox, among others.Details: March 3, 12-8 p.m.; free admission, purchase token packages to redeem for food and beer

Maplewood Brewing X Cheese Sex Death Pairing at Maplewood Brewing
Count on Maplewood to bring us a sexy beer and cheese pairing. They’re teaming up with Cheese Sex Death to guide ticket holders through three pairings of cheese with brews, and then a final dessert round paired with whiskey.Details: March 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; $50